YouTube on iOS can now livestream ReplayKit-supported apps

Livestreaming on Apple devices isn't just for YouTube Gaming anymore.

YouTube announced some new features for its mobile apps, with one of the biggest being more livestream support. You can now livestream content from apps on iOS that support ReplayKit, Apple's screencasting framework. YouTube Gaming has supported ReplayKit since June, but this update brings the support to the main app and lets users livestream content other than games.

Further Reading

To livestream a ReplayKit app, you'll need to be running iOS 10.2 or later on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, and you need the latest version of the YouTube app. Your account also needs 100 subscribers, which is YouTube's milestone that unlocks livestreaming for mobile creators. That number has been lowered over the past few months: in February the threshold was 10,000, in April it was lowered to 1,000, and recently it was lowered again to 100.

In a supported app, a "live" icon will appear on the screen while you're gaming, creating, or otherwise using the app, and you can tap that to bring up your livestreaming options. Choose the YouTube app from the list, give your livestream a title and a thumbnail image, and you can immediately start livestreaming. The stream will show what's happening in the app along with the feed from your front-facing camera, including sound from your device's mic.

YouTube

While this new feature will certainly make it easier for creators to upload Let's Play videos of mobile games, it will also allow other kinds of creators to capture their mobile device's screen and share it with their subscribers. YouTube calls out the support for Procreate under this update, which is a powerful drawing app used by many in the art and graphic design communities.

In addition to ReplayKit support, YouTube also announced a new ultra low-latency feature that produces "near real-time interaction with limited buffering." Essentially, this lowers the delay of a livestream and lets creators respond to viewer questions and comments more quickly. The company also added new inline moderation tools, the ability to hold potentially inappropriate comments before choosing to approve them, and the option to share hidden user lists across comments and live chat.